Faith-based groups that have become the face of community support for Mayor Rahm Emanuel's controversial plans to lengthen the school day and close failing schools also receive millions of dollars in grants from his administration.

City Hall has long enjoyed the support of church leaders who receive grants to run after-school programs and other social services, but that relationship is coming under new scrutiny in response to complaints that some groups paid people to testify in support of Emanuel reforms at recent public hearings.

One of the key players touting grass-roots support for Emanuel's agenda is the Rev. Roosevelt Watkins, a minister and longtime ally of former Mayor Richard Daley who has seen an uninterrupted flow of contracts to provide services to Chicago Public Schools students. Watkins acknowledged his group pays small stipends to people who receive training as community activists and attend public meetings.

"We've got complaints," CPS Inspector General James Sullivan said Thursday. "(Watkins) gets money from CPS and we're going to follow up on the complaints. We will attempt to determine if the allegations are true, and if so, is there something wrong with that."

Many of the same church leaders who supported Daley's education initiatives professed early support for Emanuel, who campaigned on a pledge to improve schools with a focus on extending the school day and school year.

"No one should be surprised Chicago's faith community is working to empower parents and residents to speak out against failing schools," Watkins said in a statement responding to questions Thursday. "We do not need anyone's permission to fight for children in every corner of this city."

But critics say that when some of those church leaders operate city-funded social service programs, it raises questions about whether they are beholden to the administration.

"Obviously, it's more than troubling here on this matter," said Ald. Robert Fioretti, 2nd. "I think there's a belief that they have to do that. It becomes a form of patronage."

Fioretti complained to CPS officials Wednesday about busloads of demonstrators packing public hearings on school closings earlier this month. He said at one hearing he attended, a man sitting behind him tapped him on the shoulder and implied he was brought to the hearing under false pretenses.

"'We were brought here and we are getting paid,'" Fioretti said the man told him. Two other people said they were given speeches that they refused to read, the alderman said.

During a CPS board meeting Wednesday, Fioretti called out the "paid protesters," and asked that their testimony be stricken from the official record.

I have never actually equated religion as a form of politics but in this situation I have to agree.

Building A Global e-Networking Community Focusing on Black Genealogy/Family History and the Cultural/Spiritual Traditions of African people worldwide. EWOSA Village @facebook.com. Follow my blog at http://blkrootsworker.blogspot.com/?m=1

I have never actually equated religion as a form of politics but in this situation I have to agree.

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How the trick works is a person or group of persons claims to be the deputy, representative, delegate, vicar, or God. As such, the flock must obey the will and whims of the deputy, representative, delegate, vicar.

Faith-based groups that have become the face of community support for Mayor Rahm Emanuel's controversial plans to lengthen the school day and close failing schools also receive millions of dollars in grants from his administration.

City Hall has long enjoyed the support of church leaders who receive grants to run after-school programs and other social services, but that relationship is coming under new scrutiny in response to complaints that some groups paid people to testify in support of Emanuel reforms at recent public hearings.

One of the key players touting grass-roots support for Emanuel's agenda is the Rev. Roosevelt Watkins, a minister and longtime ally of former Mayor Richard Daley who has seen an uninterrupted flow of contracts to provide services to Chicago Public Schools students. Watkins acknowledged his group pays small stipends to people who receive training as community activists and attend public meetings.

"We've got complaints," CPS Inspector General James Sullivan said Thursday. "(Watkins) gets money from CPS and we're going to follow up on the complaints. We will attempt to determine if the allegations are true, and if so, is there something wrong with that."

Many of the same church leaders who supported Daley's education initiatives professed early support for Emanuel, who campaigned on a pledge to improve schools with a focus on extending the school day and school year.

"No one should be surprised Chicago's faith community is working to empower parents and residents to speak out against failing schools," Watkins said in a statement responding to questions Thursday. "We do not need anyone's permission to fight for children in every corner of this city."

But critics say that when some of those church leaders operate city-funded social service programs, it raises questions about whether they are beholden to the administration.

"Obviously, it's more than troubling here on this matter," said Ald. Robert Fioretti, 2nd. "I think there's a belief that they have to do that. It becomes a form of patronage."

Fioretti complained to CPS officials Wednesday about busloads of demonstrators packing public hearings on school closings earlier this month. He said at one hearing he attended, a man sitting behind him tapped him on the shoulder and implied he was brought to the hearing under false pretenses.

"'We were brought here and we are getting paid,'" Fioretti said the man told him. Two other people said they were given speeches that they refused to read, the alderman said.

During a CPS board meeting Wednesday, Fioretti called out the "paid protesters," and asked that their testimony be stricken from the official record.

We in some deep trouble. I was checking the aipac site earlier. It has an article about a group of black 'leaders' who recently visited Israel. Most likely they will be used by the Zionists as influence peddlers to lobby the government to enforce sanctions against Iran. These Zionists such as Emanuel got such a grip over our leadership hence the masses that it's sickening.

How do we break this power they wield over us?

Building A Global e-Networking Community Focusing on Black Genealogy/Family History and the Cultural/Spiritual Traditions of African people worldwide. EWOSA Village @facebook.com. Follow my blog at http://blkrootsworker.blogspot.com/?m=1